Pentax K-1 Review

After years of promises and months of teasing, Ricoh has finally unveiled the Pentax K-1, a 36.4MP full-frame DSLR built around the K lens mount. It becomes the only conventional DSLR to offer a full frame sensor with image stabilization.

The camera is extensively sealed and features magnesium alloy construction. But despite its range-topping status and high-end build, it has a relatively low list price of $1799.

Pentax K-1 Key Specifications

36.2MP full-frame CMOS sensor with no anti-aliasing filter

5-axis image stabilization rated to 5 stops by CIPA standard testing

100% pentaprism viewfinder with 0.7x magnification

33-point AF system (25 cross-type)

Extensive weather-sealing

1/200 sec flash sync speed

14-bit Raw recording (DNG or PEF)

AA filter simulation

Multi-shot Pixel Shift Resolution mode

Built-in GPS with electro-magnetic compass and Astrotracer function

4.4 fps continuous shooting (6.5 fps in APS-C crop mode)

Wi-Fi

1080/30p video

Sensor-shift cleverness

As this list of spec highlights should make clear, the K-1 makes the most of its moveable sensor. As well as the image stabilization, which is rated to an impressive 5 stops, the camera offers a host of other clever features. These include anti-aliasing filter simulation which vibrates the sensor during exposure to intentionally blur high frequency detail across multiple pixels, to avoid moiré. Then there's the Pixel Shift Resolution mode that increases color resolution by shooting four consecutive images with the sensor moved by one pixel - effectively canceling the Bayer color filter array and lowering noise by image averaging.

The other sensor-shift modes are also clever: the K-1 includes Horizon Correction, which rotates the sensor if you hold the camera slightly off-level, and the Astrotracer system that uses the sensor's movement to cancel-out the effect of the Earth's rotation when taking images of stars (something it can calculate using its GPS).

Upgraded AF and metering

The sensor at the heart of the SAFOX 12 AF module. It gives 33 AF points in all, 25 of which are cross type and three of which offer greater accuracy when paired with bright lenses.

The camera gets a new AF module (called SAFOX 12) which features 33 focus points, 25 of which are cross type. The central three of these offer higher precision when used with F2.8 or faster lenses and the central 25 continue to focus down as far as -3EV.

An 86,000-pixel RGB metering sensor acts to offer 77-segment metering but also aids the camera's autofocus system, enabling scene analysis and subject detection to yield accurate exposures and automatically select the correct AF point to stay on your subject (subject tracking) when using continuous AF.

Core competence

Overall, though, it's not the clever use of the sensor that most stands out about the K-1, it's Ricoh's obvious focus on the core photographic capabilities. There's a reason we chose to list the viewfinder size so far up the list of specifications - it's because we think it's something users coming from existing Pentax cameras will most appreciate. Sure, there are multiple exposure modes and time lapse options, but the things that most jumped out are the high resolution sensor, the well positioned dials, the large viewfinder and image stabilization - the core things that help you to get better images. Speaking of core things: some may bemoan the omission of a dedicated AF point control, though the four way controller can be re-purposed for this.

Which isn't to say the K-1 is entirely without the occasional flourish. Aside from clever sensor shift modes (that some - particularly landscape - photographers will surely come to love), the most obvious of these is its 'Cross-Tilt' LCD. The Cross-Tilt mechanism takes a tilting LCD cradle and mounts it on four legs that slide along a cross-shaped series of slots, allowing the screen to extend outwards and move in a complex manner, before the screen itself is tilted up/down.

The K-1's Cross-Tilt LCD system has all the elegance of two deck chairs mating, but it provides a useful range of articulation.

Mounted to the back of the LCD are four white LEDs that can be used to shed light on the rear controls. Another LED, whose behavior can be set independently, shines a light on the lens mount for easier alignment when swapping lenses in the dark. The camera's card bay and remote release port are also illuminated by LEDs.

For the most part, though, the camera's focus is very much toward a traditional approach to still photography. Video capture tops-out at 1080/30p (which can also be encoded as 60i, if you prefer), which is a long way from cutting edge, but we really doubt that Ricoh has would-be film makers in mind with this model.

Still shooters are likely to appreciate the camera's Smart Function system, which adds a third command dial to the top right corner of the camera and a further control to define its function. The three dials give direct control over three of the camera's parameters with the ability to customize one of them without going anywhere near a menu.

Pricing

And how much does Ricoh want for this twin-dial, weather-sealed, magnesium alloy, image-stabilized full frame camera? The list price is a fiercely competitive $1799, body only. To put that in perspective, that's $200 lower than the launch price of Nikon's more basic D610 and $300 less than what Canon originally expected for the EOS 6D, meaning there's only a $100 premium over the list price of Sony's image-stabilized a7 II.

This is a very similar pattern we've seen from Ricoh before, with the company's models often including higher-end features (twin control dials, prism viewfinders and weather sealing) at a lower price than you'd need to spend to get them from one of the other DSLR makers.

Lens lineup

At present, Pentax offers a mixture of full-frame compatible lenses, including a handful of screw-drive FA prime lenses from the film-era and the much-loved 31, 43 and 77mm FA Limiteds from the late '90s/early 2000s. However, the company is already starting to flesh-out a range of more modern 'D FA' zooms, including a 15-30mm F2.8, a 24-70mm F2.8 (both suspiciously reminiscent of certain current Tamron-branded zooms) a 70-200mm F2.8 and an 150-450mm F4.5-5.6. For now, though, those looking for modern, fast-focusing primes will be disappointed.

But that isn't the whole story, of course. Part of the reason for all the interest in a full-frame Pentax is the vast collection of K-mount lenses that exist around the world. The K-1 lets you use the aperture rings on these lenses and can give a focus confirmation beep with the central AF point, even with manual focus lenses. When you mount an older, manual lens the K-1 prompts you to manually specify the focal length so that the image stabilization can be tuned appropriately.

The K-1 can, of course, still use the Pentax DA lenses designed for the company's APS-C cameras. By default the camera will use a 15MP APS-C-sized crop of the sensor if a DA lens is mounted but can be made to use its full sensor region, if you'd prefer. Ricoh has published a list of those lenses that will produce relatively useable results in full frame mode, if the aperture is stopped down.

DA Prime Lens / Utility on K-1

DA 14mm

Crop Mode Only

DA 50mm F1.8

Stopped-down

DA 21mm Limited

Crop Mode Only

DA* 55mm F1.4

Stopped-down

DA 15 F4 Limited

Crop Mode Only

DA 70mm Limited

Stopped-down

DA 35mm F2.4

Stopped-down

DA* 200mm F2.8 SDM

Fully Functional

DA 35mm F2.8 Macro

Stopped-down

DA* 300mm F4 SDM

Fully Functional

DA 40mm Limited

Stopped-down

DA 560mm F5.6

Fully Functional

DA 40mm XS

Stopped-down

RC1.4X

Crop Mode Only

The company says that all of the DA zooms will only cover the crop sensor region.

1. Yes.2. Up to 999 images (or up to the amount that fits on the card(s) depending on what happens first. Intervals selectable from 1 ms to 24 hours. [And you can select a precise time at which to start shooting. Set it all up, tell the camera when to start, and just leave it be.]3. On older Pentax no - just single images. Given this mentions 4k time lapse specifically things might have developed quite a bit.4. No idea. Use google :)

"The rear screen's articulation mechanism is complex and fascinating, but it's not entirely clear to us what the benefit is over an edge-hinged screen than can be rotated to face inwards."... I do see advantages... as for one: using the cam above the head with dbg and be able to see on the rear screen by.... and same for taking a picture from below/@hiphight... not done with any other... :-) ... in Portrait in stead of landscape....

I feel the new articulation mechanism is genius. Side hinging on my K-S2 actually is a bit far out, the flip down screen on MX-1/XZ-2 is too restrictive angle wise. This new mechanism could allow pointing the LCD at me (I need to look at it for composition) without restricting its angle or being too far away.

1. Looks like a very nice body! And very fairly priced. And some of those primes (200/2.8 and 300/4 are really cheap!) Sony lighting a fire under every DSLRs ass has resulted in some nice affordable bodies, like the Nikon D750, and now this Pentax.

2. Sony's 36 mpix sensor seems to be a budget sensor now. I expect it to be popping up everywhere then... e.g. D620, A7III, etc...

Please keep in mind that not everybody wants to follow the megapixel race. for me 24 mp is enough on full frame except if you want to crop a lot out of it. this is the reason why the d750 is another 24 mp and not 36 mp. and the d500 is even 20 mp... it is for different demands.

@JustDavid because pentaxians react very exaggerated if you write something negative. i got this very bad experience at that point after i have detected that my pentax 18-55mm kit lens was a bad and faulty copy. man, do you know how many stupid comments i got because of my review? and i had pics to proove that it was not a joke.

Attractive camera, a real price breaker. For me, there are some things Ricoh could have made better, and I do not think that a touchscreen and a USB 3 module had made it much more expensive. For the rest, I has just everything one needs and doesn't needs.

@Mike99999 yes and who cares? cameras are only a tool. i don't have asked for 36 mp nor do i need 42 mp or 50 mp. it is perfectly fine that nikon is still making 24 mp full frame cameras such as the d610 or d750 - not too expensive such as 36 mp or above but also with high quality output.

@JustDavid Why should that be of any interest if i am having an account here? That's just kind of a silly question. May i ask you why you are here? And no just by having said my opinion a few times because you guys are getting on my nerves doesn't mean that i have a mission... that is kind of silly again.

@JustDavid: To each their own. You should be more tolerant against people which don't support your viewpoint. Somebody who likes Canon doesn't need to like Nikon or vice versa. The same with Sony and Pentax. It is just this "only pentax is a camera for real photographers" from the fanboys which is a bit cranky to me.

@JustDavid i wrote a lot of replies to people who are writing me back the last hours and a few comments were made directly to this article but why do you count beans? does it help anybody? and why do you use your time to write me if this is just a waste of time for you?

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Nikon got kicked in the balls with K-1 & now they are all histerical. So they send souch prepayed guys on internet to write stupid comments & to provoke us - Pentax-lovers.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have only one question:

HOW MANY PENTAXIANS has wrote negative comments under articles about CaNikon?

The sigma art 35 1.4 for pentax is on the market from a while, not much long after it was released for canon and nikon, probably it is only a matter of time until they release also the others! (Especially now that there is a full frame, and not a lot of first party lenses!)

Yes, 30 and 35 are the only Art primes so far that got a Pentax version.

I'm sure Canon and Nikon are much more important markets for Sigma, so they are the priority. So I suspect it's just a matter of time the others get the same treatment, especially now. Keeping my fingers crossed. Not that I'd buy into it, I just always cheer for Ricoh/Pentax.

Did you speak to Ricoh Japan directly? The K-5II/K-5IIs, K-3/K-3II and K-S2 have all points sensitive down to -3EV. The K-1 appears to have the same module as the K-3 (those additional 6 points were previously inactive) with different optics to get a wider frame coverage.

Actually 70mm at f/2,4 (fully open) looks great! In the sample I can see no vignetting at all! This is actually in line with earlier reports telling that DA 70 covers full-frame.Well done Ricoh! Thank you for another great Pentax product!

Funny do you know how often Pentaxians compare their beloved K-1 to a Nikon D800 oder D810? I read it all the times on Pentaxforums. Not i am comparing but you guys are doing it the whole time. The difference between a Pentaxian and Nikon Photographer is that Nikon users are paying for good new lenses and bodies while a Pentaxian want everything cheap as possible and only want to invest in old lenses most of the times. Not so great for a company to have such customers.

look I have d610 with many ais lenses and one art lens.yes the camera is great but to be honest i didnt get the crispy pics which i used to get from my k3ii.i also have fuji xpro 1 with some dx prime.all i can say i miss my pentax k3ii and k5iis colors!nikon is nikon a big market compare to pentax but when talking about photography with fun then it is pentax !!

@zakaria that is your personal experience and your personal taste. i have a very different one with modern lenses on a d600. i don't need to explain anybody why i choose nikon over pentax. to say that photography is only fun with a certain brand is a bit stupid for me.

@Jorge - I've worked with Cannon, Nikon (and various Sony Film Cameras / Cannon C300) professionally. Pentax really has the best ergonomics out of the lot. It falls short on tracking AF and frame rate and is way behind even Nikon / Canon DSLRs in Video mode.

@mnemon it is no ergonomic problem to operate a nikon either. everything what is needed for photography can be quickly accessed (af mode, white balance, picture style, exposure compensation, bracketing, iso and auto iso, metering mode, flash exposure, flash mode, single, continuous shot, ...) by pressing the accordant button and turning the front or back wheel. for the rest i have my custom menu to access things which i don't need that often. and what is important: you have dedicated cursor keys for af point selection which aren't misused for other functions (i had that problem permanently on pentax to have the slow switch between cursor keys for af point selection and those other modes).

No it's no problem. Not what I said. It's just that Pentax is that bit nicer. And with ergonomics I don't just mean access to options, but where the buttons are placed, how it all falls into hand. The three control wheel plus the two smaller front and back ones on this new body will add even further than that.

It's no slate against Nikon. Professionally, given the AF advantages they have I am more likely to use Nikon. But my ideal camera would have Nikon's internals, Sony's video features and Pentax body, built and ergonomics. Each brand has there own strengths and weaknesses. Pentax just is a bit ahead of the game on that specific aspect.

"And with ergonomics I don't just mean access to options, but where the buttons are placed, how it all falls into hand."

But this is how my Nikon D600 feels exactly in my hands. it feels comfortable. i can't imagine to hold a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens for hours with a smaller body such as a k-3 or k-1. the buttons have enough space so you can't touch accidentally other buttons which can easily happen with too many squashed buttons on a small body.

But have you actually done it? As I said I've experience of pretty much all the brands using them for days, sometimes week long assignments. The buttons are placed in a way that I've yet to press anything by accident. Pentax is good at those things - which is again what I mean by ergonomics. Not just loads of buttons, but a thought through approach as to where and how they are placed.

As in the Adorama review one thing easy to unappreciated is the heft of the Pentax bodies. They balance out lenses really well despite their smaller size.

@Mnemon I had a Pentax some years ago and my main issue was switching the four way control between focus point selection and the normal button operation because i have configured my camera in a way that the rear display was permanently switched off except if i want to check a shot. it was not comfortable for me to always check if i am in the right button mode. the nikon simply shows a focus point in the OVF when switched on - this whole dynamic OVF overlay with switchable grid and focus points is normal for Nikon but new to Pentax in the K-1.

@jonny1976 ever heard about that nikon will service your d600 and exchange it with a d610 for free if you have this problem? and learn how to clean a sensor on a DSLR or do you think pentax will never get dirty when you exchange a lens in a dirty environment?

@Mnemon I know about the red dot in the view finder of a Pentax but as already said, constantly switching the buttons was not comfortable for me. Get it? In fact it was rather bad ergonomics and usability for me.

@Mnemon of course that would be great. once you a accustomed to have a dedicated controller for you AF point selection you don't want to go back. i mean hey, thats really common to have AF point selection on our high resolution cameras beside manual focus. adjust focus is a thing which you need to do the whole time.

Yes and no. You need it a lot in fast shooting situations - which the Pentax AF system struggles with anyway already [and that's my gripe with it much more; why I tend to use Nikon as a professional tool instead of Pentax]. I am not switching white balance and the other options on the control wheel of the Pentax all that often while actually shooting to need constant access to them; don't do that with Nikon either.

In not so fast shooting situations where Pentax is a bit more competitive speed of changing AF points it isn't all that important. E.g. Portraiture, Studio Photography, Landscape Photography, even Street photography all don't quite need constant AF shifting. Sports, Action, Wildlife I need it [and again - that's why Pentax is not my professional tool as I work more in those areas.] But the ergonomics is the latter problem compared to the internally so much better AF of both Canon and Nikon bodies on that end.

"Yes and no. You need it a lot in fast shooting situations - which the Pentax AF system struggles with anyway already [and that's my gripe with it much more; why I tend to use Nikon as a professional tool instead of Pentax]."

Ah you know that already from the K-1 and the fast 70-200mm f/2.8 Pentax lens? I mean the camera isn't even out yet and people haven't even tested it yet.

When thinking about DSLR cameras i need a system which feels comfortable as a whole: regarding Nikon... For me the Nikkor lenses are as much as important as their brilliant sensors and third-party lenses have great options, too. Then there is CLS, a good range of additional accessories, a good service and support, availability in a lot of stores and so on...

I give you that Nikon's system is great. Never denied that. Even pointed it out. Whole point of the debate was that Pentax is really good at ergonomics. And that I wish Nikon would take some inspiration from that to further improve their camera bodies.

@Mnemon in which way a nikon body should be like pentax? is it the size? the grip? layout of buttons? isn't the d750 a step into the right direction? or would you like that nikon has the pentax feel of robustness which costs a lot of weight? I think Nikon is much closer to Pentax than Canon in my opinion. I tried Canon and Nikon side by side and noticed that i don't like Canon bodies. Not the feel of it, the layout, the buttons, the usability and they had less to give away in the price range of a d600.

The Pentax body was my first DSLR and i liked it too, but the choice of good lenses was rather a bit of a mixed bag if you're not interested in old glas and Limiteds are too overpriced for me (i rather buy f/1.4 to f/1.8 lenses for that money). The DA 300mm f/4 was on my wish list, not very expensive and great image quality but then the QC issues with lenses (my 18-55mm was really mediocre at 18mm), SDM drive issues and so on... made the whole thing somewhat unattractive to me.

Yes, Nikon is a lot closer to Pentax than Canon is. Size, heft, button placement, all the many, many buttons and where they differ. Small little details that make the difference for me, overall, that just tell me there's a lot of very careful thought that went in to it in Pentax' body design. [Like, say, the LED lights they introduced now. 'tis not a big thing, but they all add up].

And yes, again, I use Nikon bodies professionally because there's some rather distinct advantages in it's performance for what I mainly do. I am not arguing with you on that end. I am not talking about pure performance here. Haven't. No where. I only just prefer the ergonomics and build quality of Pentax bodies. So again - my ideal body would have Nikon's internal electronics; with Sony's video focused features added and Pentax layout and shaped bodies..

Ok now you have repeated yourself instead of giving me some answers to my questions. But i don't think the D610 and D750 are really that bad in terms of their bodies. At least a lot more lovely than anything from Canon and the size of a D600 isn't bad if you have attached the heavy 70-200mm f/2.8 to it. Nikon could improve the Df and make it more solid with less plastic, giving the same robustness and grip like a Pentax. I would love to see such a retro style camera taken a bit more seriously but maybe there aren't many people who buy it.

I am sure K-1 is a great tool for taking photographs. But in a crowded market filled with FF CaNikons and Sonys, and coming late, it has to have some outstanding features to stand out. And I don't see anything like that.

Wondering what's the AF module frame coverage. Also, you mentioned something about the lights and was expecting to see what kind of light show they brought this time (Pentax-Ricoh is well known for their light shows, not necessarily a good thing)

And that would be exactly the reason why I doubt the accuracy of DPR's illustration - Ricoh worked hard to fit a 100% FF mirror into the body, inventing a new hinge in the process, and then plain forgot to upgrade the AF sensor from APS-C to FF? Unlikely.

I'm sometimes wondering what trade-offs take place behind the scenes when camera designs are finalised. The lack of a AF joy-stick (or selector otherwise) is always puzzling. But for a camera that can draw an a wide range of existing K-mount lenses I'm not sure why the viewfinder was limited to 0.7x. I wouldn't call that large when most better manual film SLRs where about 0.85x (OM-1/2 at a whooping 0.92x).

Btw, @Richard Butler, does it come with a decent focusing screen that isn't completely smooth?

Good point. The OM-1 was indeed the "king" of the magnification factor, and a lot of 35mm slr's did have mags around .85x or so. But size wasn't everything. The quality of the viewing experience was also important in allowing us to actually manually focus, something that is very difficult on an APS-C dslr with its small screen.

My Leica R7 is .85x and I do have an OM-1 for comparison. Whilst it gives a little to the Oly in terms of magnification, it is much easier to focus. The first Leicaflex screens are some of the best. My Leicaflex Mk II is extremely bright, but it is not a full viewing screen in that it can be used to focus via the central microprism, but can't show depth of field. With my SL2 the brightness almost matches it, but it is a full focusing screen.

I suppose the point I'm making in agreement with you is that many a manual slr film camera was much easier to focus than present day dslrs.

There are postings that Olympus filed patents for several full frame lenses. Maybe an Olympus FF is in the cards.

I wonder if adapters can be used to mount manual focus, wide angle, Canon Tilt Shift lenses. Since this could be a good landscape camera, that would be a great combination. I know adapters and tilt shift lenses work on the new Sony full frame cameras.

Sadly, this can't be done and maintain infinity focus. Canon Eos lenses have a shorter register of 44mm, as against the Pentax K mount of 45.46mm. They work on Sony E mount cameras because the E lens register is much shorter.

@Jorge You are taking it too seriously. Your point is understandable, but no one ever made the crazy conclusion that you just wrote. It's just a good camera. Let's use photography and cameras to make photos and friends.

@Yanko That is the best attitude for photography. having fun to take pictures is more important than gear in the end. that is the reason why i don't switch brands forth and back which i find silly at all because great lenses are more important than having the newest body... it's like people think that switching gear makes the photos better but the camera is only the tool.

It is not hate. it is a give and take. you pentaxians should care about the sales of your k-1. the more customers they buy the more attractive the k-mount will get for tamron, sigma or even zeiss maybe... it is all about market share and if the manufacturerer cares about it's customers (regarding video: not so much love from ricoh... that is a shame - even olympus and fuji are ahead of the game...).

-First off, not a pentaxian, I have a Sony A7, which I got for half the price of this camera and in many ways it suites me a lot better. -Last time I checked Tamron and Sigma made K mount lenses, get your facts straight.-No one buying this camera is wanting video, but even if they did, it does shoot Full HD with a mic slot, headphone slot and nice full frame bokeh with those pentax lenses.-Nikon and Canon aren't getting as much as they used to, both flopped with their mirrorless camera efforts. -Hold your disdain and projections and let us see how this camera actually does. I imagine there are going to be more sales than you'd expect.

"It's worth keeping in mind, though, that a 36MP sensor is likely to be fairly demanding on older glass, and our initial impressions of shooting with one older 50mm Pentax prime aren't wholly encouraging."

I don't think anyone expects a budget kit lens from 1979 to be a stellar performer, but out of curiosity was metering part of the problem? If so, try shooting in M mode, and use the green button to set your shutter speed. The KAF3 mount lacks an aperture coupler to estimate the exposure from an M series lens like you are using. (My apologies if you already knew that.)

@gsum: I beg to differ. I have nine Ai/AiS primes and used them on the 800/E/810. Very disappointing. Not sharp, flare, the image quality just isn't there.

If this camera is aimed at those with older Pentax glass, a sensor like the Df has would have been a much wiser choice. But looking at all the trickery this camera appears to have, I'm not sure what sort of users Pentax is targeting.

Richard, is that 'general case' that you are making valid? I don't think so. A 36MP FF sensor has about the same pixel density as a 16 MP APS-C sensor. I have not experienced bad performance of my old manual lenses on my NEX5n nor have read complaints or reports from others who are using old manual lenses on 16MP APS-C sensors.

@MikeF4Black I think Pentax is trying both. Attract new customers (hence the development of new lenses) and old customers with existing (old) glas although they won't get the best out of this sensor (that is only possible with modern lenses). After so many years without a 35mm full frame it seems to be difficult to get the right choice for your existing (or remaining) customers.

In the 35mm film era I was a Pentax fan owning 2 Super A bodies, a range of lenses and a dedicated flash. Was very happy with all. In the early noughties, digital arrived there was talk of a new full-frame Pentax camera but was stillborn and Pentax were left behind in the technology race and subsequently taken over. I since bought a Nikon D60 and then a Nikon D300 AND 3 EXPENSIVE LENSES - 10-24, 35, 18-200 - and a SB800 flash. That’s the problem. I have invested so much in Nikon that I cannot afford to go for the Pentax. I still have legacy manual 28mm, 50mm and 135mm lenses but why use focus-assist when you want auto-focus.

Looks like a great camera at a fantastic price. I was considering buying a Canon 6D, but this has it beat in every way, and as a landscape photographer the pixel-shift feature is, as they say, "a game-changer". Well done Pentax.

welcome abord. but be warned: if you ever try one of those limited lenses you will fall in love with them. then you are infected with what we call lens-buying-addiction (LBA) because there are really so many pentax gems out there; up to now there is no cure and I guess the K-1 doesn't help either :-D

@digifan Olympus isn't full-frame and neither is Hasselblad. Medium format is many times more expensive. And I didn't say pixel shift was a new feature, Pentax already has it on the K-3ii. Read comments more carefully before replying.

Aren't the individual body colors important anymore for Ricoh? Will the K-1 be available in a pink, orange and yellow body color mix where i can choose each part with a different color? It was a strong selling point before on the K-50. Together with the LED lights it would look very special.

"but the truth is, this is probably one of the most ergonomics DLSR's"

and this statement is based on what? Ever used a Nikon full frame for example? That isn't rocket science either. You press a button and move the front/back wheel to adjust various parameters there without even looking at the back display because you get a good top display showing your settings.

@Jorge Bayonas - "And this statement based on what?" - What part of "judging by what I have seen of the K-5" is confusing to you? I have used a K-5 extensively. You can add the Pentax Q to it. Pentax gets UI and ergonomics.

Of course, for all I know they completely screwed it up for the K-1 but that seems very very unlikely.

A few more quick thoughts:1) The two new wheels on top are basically doing what the back INFO button used to do in shooting mode, a quick menu feature. Is this still available? It was fine with me, I'd prefer a bigger top LCD instead.2) The AF and buffer specs sound a bit pedestrian nowadays...3) I'm not fond of the switch of places of the LV and PLAY buttons4) I'd like the old metering mode dial where the lock dial is on top left5) I like it's smallish and square design with the prism hump but I'd prefer a built in flash instead of GPS.6) I hope the horizon correction feature is trustworthy. In my K-5 it actually started tilting perfectly level pictures and I didn't find a way of recalibrating it, so it's now set permanently off. 7) I'm not a videographer but I occasionally shoot amateur vids on my vacations and make small movies for me and my friends. How hard could it be to offer Full HD 60p?

re: 1) I find implementatino with dials better, as this lets you have a semi-permanent third parameter adjustment dial, as opposed to always having to press info and then select the parameter to adjust and the adjustment value with regular front+back dials. Two steps less if you're mostly adjusting the same parameter (most commonly ISO or +/-, probably)

Man, combine this little but rock-solid workhorse with the "known" success of the Tamron-Pentax 15-30 2.8, and I think we have a new astro-landscape champion on our hands. This kit'll give a D810A + 14-24 2.8 quite a run for its money!

Excuse me but a D810 has a lot more to offer what the Pentax K-1 is capable of. Starting with the base ISO which gives you five stops dynamic range to recover shadows if you don't want to blow the highlights (no need to perform bracketing anymore), the electronic curtain for the shutter that reduces vibration, the phase dedection AF is more versatile and advanced, video is better, you don't loose the built-in flash, more advanced CLS flash system, ... it is all in the details.

@ Jorge - pixel shift really outperforms any kind of low base ISO. Compare shoots of K-3II and D7200 and you'll see it yourself. Yes you need a static shoot, but most of landscape is static. As for astrophotography, where you don't use base iso, or any iso below 1000ish guess who will be better...And yes I think that D810 is a stronger all rounder, its price clearly states so. When you compare cameras get ones from the same price range.

Pixel shift usage is very limited to make it a general advantage for photography. Even landscape contains moving parts with wind and water, clouds... you can't use pixel shift with long exposures or fill-in flash for portrait photography...

ummm.... so i was talking about that when i mentioned "Yes you need a static shoot, but most of landscape is static"And most of landscape shots are long exposures where water, clouds etc get blurred anyway...check out flicker pages of k-3II and see for yourself. pixel shift is doing really at landscape department.

Jorge you need to read the specs more carefully before talking about "the details". Do you know anything about the K1's DR? Do you know that pixel-shift uses an electronic curtain? and that it now detects and corrects for motion in the scene? Have you ever used IBIS?

The lens I'm referring to is the new Pentax 15-30 2.8. It's the same optical formula as the Tamron, and therefore, a relatively sure-fire performer.

@ Jorge Bayonas,You're correct, the D810 has plenty to offer, and is a great choice for certain shooters. However, from an astro-landscape perspective, which is what I mentioned, ...none of the features you mentioned are useful.

I'm honestly not that interested in the pixel-shifting technology either, compared to the Astrotracer and the in-camera stabilization in general. Having no AA filter on a 36 MP sensor is already an incredible amount of detail, and 90% of the time in outdoor situations it will probably be more trouble than it's worth. However, I will still give it a shot in certain conditions.

This K-1 would go very well with my FA31, FA77, DA55 and DA200. All that's left of my once extensive Pentax kit.

I've also got a few lenses I want to sell but it will all depend on the reviews.

PS: The pentax incarnation of the Tamron 24-70 is almost 3x the price (I have a Tamron 24-70) and my Nikon 14-24 is one of my favourite lenses of all time.. has less barrel distortion than the Tamron (err Pentax) but more flare. But there's also the superior Pentax colour to take into account. I've never been happy with the colour from my Nikons.. too yellow.

Thanks, but I've had them for years and it's not really the case that WB fixes it. I do accept that the coatings on the Sigma lenses I use (35/art, 50/art, 120-300/sports, 150-600/sports) might be a part of my perceptions though. Considering that though, there really does seem to be a colour balance issue with my Nikons. I also have a Nikon 70-200 VRII, a 24 PCE and I did own a 300/F4 AIS, which I regret selling now, so I have some perspective in this.My Zeiss 21/2.8 is amazing though.

So small and so heavy. Correct me if am wrong. But I think that it is smaller than any FF DSLR and much heavier than any "non-including-vertical-grip" DSLR. How its fill like ? I want to know. I want take to hand that cute small and density brick.

Pentax cameras tend to feel a little dense, but the lenses are a bit lighter. Overall they feel more wieldy to me compared to Canon and Nikon, like a rapier vs a broadsword, much less nose-heavy. This also helps tremendously with dampening mirror slap.

The main feature of K-1 is the FIRST Pentax FF camera. And it's extremely well. We have been waiting for 15 years. Somebody didn't live till this moment. I don't care about specs. K-1 has FF sensor and I don't see sense to waste time for long discussing of pros and cons. I can put all my FA LIMITED on K-1 and I will be happy. My congratulations to all Pentaxian!

I would have traded the big, goofy dial on top for a little more LCD real estate. I would have liked to see a 1/500th max sync speed ideally, but failing that, at least 1/250th. I don't really need more than 1 FPS for portraits, but some will find 4.4 a bit limiting. Other than those quibbles, I can't say I'm too disappointed. Now, can I get it ten years ago?

@Maxfield_photo I agree. I like an LCD top display which shows you quickly the status of your camera settings (for example... exposure compensation activated, double exposure on/off, is bracketing on/off, which autofocus settings are active, is flash rear or slow sync or fill-in, what metering mode is active, ....)... a lot of useful information if you don't use the back display of your camera to save battery life and want to have a status before grabbing the camera for a shot.

And I think, the extra dial setting can be adopted to one of the front or rear wheels, why not? And give a full fledged LCD we have on other Pentax DSLRs. Top LCD has lot of details on these models. Also, these extra dials made ISO/+- compensation buttons useless. Not well thought.

@ntrao In reality i don't know what this extra dial on top of the Pentax body is good for. You can already achieve a quick and intuitive user interface by pressing a button and moving the front or rear dial just like this is the case on other brands.

I have a K3-II that I bought. Part of me wishes I had waited, part does not mind. The K3-II is VERY usable and I have already got some excellent shots from it.

I would encourage anyone who has the ability to try out a good quality, manual prime such as the metal 50mm from (however many years ago) on either the APSC or this new FF camera. On my 24MP APSC I find primes can give excellent results and if stopped down a few stops, no evidence of flare or CA even at the edges.

And it is easy to do on a Pentax - there are so many K-mount lenses out there!

Mirrorless does clearly have an advantage on high pixel resolution cameras (basically everything above 16 MP). It doesn't have the problem of mirror slapping vibrations during a capture which decreases the resolution (you are sometimes forced to use "mirror lock-up / timer" shots on a high resolution DSLR). The more pixelcount you have on a digital camera sensor the more important it will get to avoid vibration on longer exposure times.

@420deimos This is a very limited view for a photographer. There is no one specific tool for your job. There can be many tools... just don't make a religion out of it by sticking to one specific brand and think that it will be superior compared everything else. That is the job of the marketing department.

@Jorge I dont go trolling on other brands press releases like some posters here (like Eugene) love to do with Pentax. Sony has done great things, I prefer Pentax, I feel it has more soul. More choice is better for everybody!

What is interesting is the LED over the mount illumination also gives dust-phobes a clear indicator of how dusty a given area is when changing mount! Next they just need to incorporate a built in dust vacuum.

There's one thing that worries me about this feature. In order for the light to come on, obviously the camera has to be on, but if the sensor is on then the charge may attract dust. I also had the unfortunate experience of changing lenses on my K20d years ago which the power was still on, and accidentally cross threaded the mount. I inadvertently shorted out the SDM contacts, and from then on SDM wouldn't work at all. Luckily many of my SDM lenses also had screw drive. Still, I think it's a bad idea to have power going to certain circuits during a lens change, and I hope Pentax had the foresight to cut the power to those sensitive components.

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